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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted raids on a total of 1040 places in connection with separate cases pertaining to terrorist activities, drugs smugglers, human traffickers throughout the last year, informed the agency in a press note released on December 31.
With a stupendous conviction rate of 94.70, the NIA in the last one year arrested as many as 625 accused in separate cases alongside attaching assets worth Rs 56 crores. In the press note issued, the agency informed that the number of arrest made by the NIA last year indicates a 28% increase over the previous year (2022).
This includes 65 arrest in cases pertaining to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), 114 for Jihadi terror cases, arrest of 45 accused in cases related to human trafficking, 28 of terrorist and organised criminal activity and a total of 76 arrest in Left Wing Extremism related cases, informed the agency further.
The federal agency has also conducted raids on around 50 locations as part of the agency’s effort to unravel the conspiracy behind the attack on Indian High commission such as High Commissions of India in Otawa and London which involved criminal trespass, Vandalism, damage to public property and attempt to cause hurt to Indian officials and damage the Consulate building through acts of arson.
Further, the agency through various innovative methods of investigation identified as many as 43 suspects and have so far examined more than 80 persons suspected to be part of the conspiracy to attack Indian High Commissions in recent months.
Cases registered, conviction and property attached
In the press note issued, NIA further informed that as many as 68 cases was registered in the last year covering a wide spectrum of terror related incidents. These encompass 18 Jihadi case of multiple states and as many 12 cases related to Left Wing Extremism.
Meanwhile the number of person chargesheeted stood at 513 while a total of 74 accused were convicted as against 459 and 79 in the year 2022. The accused convicted in the last year were sentenced to various quantums of “Rigorous Imprisonment” and fines as punishment leading the agency to maintain a robust overall conviction rate of 94.70% underscoring the efficiency of its investigational and prosecution expertise, effectiveness and prowess.
In terms of seizing and attachment of properties the agency in line with its targeted strategy to squeeze terror funding and to dismantle the terror and crime ecosystem has seized or attached properties worth 55.90 crore including a total of 156 bank accounts. The properties attached or seized by the agency belonged to accused and suspects involved in terrorism, LWE, explosives and other prominent cases.
Further, the agency while highlighting its achievement in dismantling the terror networks and nabbing of the accused through out the year also informed about the recent raids carried out by the agency which led to the disclosure of ISIS module.
Crackdown against the LWE
The Investigative agency throughout the year launched massive crackdowns against the cadres and sympathizers of the banned CPI Maoist and Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI).
NIA conducted raids across four states in connection with the plot to revive insurgency in Magadh region of Bihar which led to the seizure of digital devices and recovery of incriminating documents. The agency also nabbed Dinesh Gope, self-styled supremo of the PLFI (a splinter group of the CPI Maoist) in May last year who was carrying a culminative reward of Rs30 lakh and was absconding for more than two decades. Dinesh was wanted in more than 150 cases.
Additionally, the federal agency also nabbed a number of accused including the Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals in cases related to human trafficking.
The Agency also lunched massive crackdown against terror-gangster network by registering two cases, chargesheeting 55 persons, conducting 253 raids which led to seizure of 18 properties and arrest of 27 persons including the arrest of Deepak Ranga, the prime accused in the RPG attack on the intelligence headquarter of the Punjab Police.
Ranga was the Chief executioner of terrorist activities of Pakistan based Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda and Canada based Lakhbir Singh Landa, both operatives of the proscribed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Additionally, the agency also nabbed Manpreet Peeta, a close associate of Phillippines based individual terrorist Arsh Dala.
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